MOVIESCentral Park Premiere: Disney will premiere its...

MOVIES

Central Park Premiere: Disney will premiere its latest animated feature, “Pocahontas,” in New York’s Central Park on June 10, with an estimated 100,000 people expected to view four eight-story-high theater screens set against the west side of the park’s Great Lawn. In making the announcement Tuesday, Walt Disney Co. CEO Michael Eisner said he envisioned the evening as an “all-family Woodstock,” at which the movie--a musical version of the Pocahontas/John Smith story with score by Alan Mencken and Stephen Schwartz--would be preceded by a live performance featuring Disney characters and real-life personalities. Tickets to the event will be distributed free through a random mail-in program, details of which will be announced in the spring. Also on Tuesday, Disney announced plans for “Fantasia Continued,” scheduled for a 1998 release; “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” scheduled for 1996, and “Hercules,” planned for 1997.

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‘Waterworld’ Screenwriter Blasts Industry: David Twohy, a writer on Kevin Costner’s big summer action film “Waterworld,” took out ads in the Hollywood trades Tuesday asking the movie industry to stop criticizing the film’s huge costs--now estimated at $160 million--before it is even completed. In an “Open Letter to the Industry,” Twohy wrote: “Stop gnawing on the hand that feeds you. Just shut the hell up until the movie comes out. When it does, go see it. Then you can decide whether it’s deserving of criticism or not.” Twohy said major movies “drive this industry,” adding, “All of us should want the studios to swing for the fences with something like ‘Waterworld.’ Because when a summer movie hits big, there’s more opportunity for other films.” Ironically, the ad appeared on the same day the Wall Street Journal published a front-page story about the troubled Universal Pictures production.

TELEVISION

New Focus: The season finale of ABC’s “All-American Girl” starring stand-up comic Margaret Cho will serve as a pilot for another vehicle starring Cho as the same character in a different situation. Disney executives said the episode will feature Cho and Amy Hill, who currently plays Cho’s grandmother in the comedy, but will not include any other cast members. Officials said they did not know what the new focus would be, but said that ABC would have the option of picking up the new premise or renewing “All-American Girl.” The show has performed below expectations this season with viewers and critics.

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Departing Remarks: Friday night may have been Branford Marsalis’ last appearance as leader of the “Tonight Show” band, but he couldn’t resist offering a few final words Monday to his replacement, guitarist Kevin Eubanks, while simultaneously taking a poke at the musical restrictions that dogged his last year on the show. Appearing on the NBC show dressed in the robes of “Star Wars” figure Obi Wan Kenobi in a brief daydream sequence, Marsalis advised Eubanks to “forget the crap about making the music upbeat and recognizable. Just play whatever the hell you want.” But the end of the Marsalis era was clearly signaled by the replacement of two band regulars, pianist Kenny Kirkland and drummer Jeff (Tain) Watts. Regarding the sudden supplanting of musicians closely associated with Marsalis, a spokesperson said only that “NBC Productions has made the decision not to exercise the (two musicians’) options.” The new “Tonight Show” band members are Nick Smith on keyboards, Marvin (Smitty) Smith on drums and Ralph Moore, replacing Marsalis, on tenor saxophone.

STAGE

Another ‘Assassins’ Delay: The Los Angeles production of Stephen Sondheim’s “Assassins,” which was originally scheduled to move into the Los Angeles Theatre Center’s 498-seat Tom Bradley Theatre on Jan. 20, then was pushed back until Feb. 10, will now remain in the LATC’s 68-seat Theatre 4 through March 5. The production’s move to the bigger theater is now scheduled for March 10. The reason for the four-week delay is the same as it was last time: the need for an extensive reworking of the set and rehearsals in the new space.

QUICK TAKES

Angela Lansbury will return next year for her 12th season portraying Jessica Fletcher on CBS’ mainstay, “Murder, She Wrote,” the network announced Tuesday. The 1995-96 season will mark Lansbury’s fourth as the show’s executive producer. . . . KTTV-TV Channel 11 has named Lonnie Lardner as its entertainment reporter for “Fox News at 10.” Lardner, a former entertainment reporter for KTTV’s “Good Day L.A.,” has also held reporting and anchor positions at KCBS-TV Channel 2, KCAL-TV Channel 9 and KABC-TV Channel 7. . . . Queen Latifah, Salt-N-Pepa, TLC, Aaliyah, Brandy, and SWV are among 33 female rap and R & B acts who united in Hollywood on Tuesday to record the title song for the Mercury Records soundtrack for the movie “Freedom.” The album is due April 4, and the movie opens April 21.